Quote:
Originally Posted by ToughOmbres
Speaking of that, there is a producing well/rig in Red Star, Lone Star.; also doesn't the Pacific Northwest Sourcebook have a trickle of oil? A referee could easily wave into North Texas, OK and Louisiana and have a producing well coaxed back online.
The airframes would be the rub-seals decay, hoses fray and break down, hydraulic fluid doesn't last forever. As a referee I would probably expect most intact units to have at most a single Apache or Kiowa flying in most of CONUS plus whatever civilian aircraft/copters were still available? Those assets would be reserved for the most critical missions like targeting New America. Just a thought.
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There would be functional small wells all across Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Texas panhandle that would only need electricity (which could be provided on-situ with portable gens) to run the pump jacks to continue producing. Additionally, back in 1996, natural gas pumps were largely natural gas powered, so limited NG production could be resumed with resources on hand.
NG is maybe more critical than oil is, because it's feedstock for things such as methanol (which you need for biodiesel), ammonia (fertilizers, explosives), and power generation.
Unfortunately, oil only gets you so far. Raw crude oil can be burned in some industrial diesel plants, but modern production of gasoline and jet fuel and aviation gasoline is pretty complex (or at least, I've been assured by someone that works in the industry that it's complex and even if you know what you are doing and had plenty of raw materials it would be extremely difficult to stand up from scratch). Basic distillate hydrocarbons get you in the 40-60 octane range. To get to the octane ranges cars need (80+) requires a pretty complex blend of hydrocarbons, detergents, and additives. A lot of those additives and detergents require you to have a chemical industry that is downstream of natural gas production.
I would expect 2-stroke motors and Sterling engines would make a heck of a comeback, as well as diesels (since it's easier to make than gasoline). But yeah, I doubt the dirigibles and ultralights are the only airpower in CONUS circa 2001. Not when there is a functioning refinery in Robinson, IL.